


flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart

by nishmonkey



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Character Death, F/F, Fluff, Mentions of Blood, Sad and Happy, Yvesoul - Freeform, but mostly sad, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25386478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishmonkey/pseuds/nishmonkey
Summary: “Your token,” she explains simply.It holds sentiment. It’s a reminder from home, of their time together.It's the perfect token but “It’ll wilt...” is the only thing she manages to say.(Hunger Games Yvesoul)
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul & Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 11
Kudos: 27





	flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own. Enjoy.

Yves cherishes moments like this: lounging high on a mountaintop away from the periphery of their district. It’s an area of sincere peace not found often.

The light from the sun directly over her casts a comforting warmth throughout the valley, giving life to the wildflowers whose sweet aroma tickles her senses. Her hair billows in soft waves as a breeze picks up. It rustles the grass and flowers together creating a symphony of sounds unique only to the mountain. A whispered melody only understood by its high altitude denizens. She lifts her legs up as they dangle over the cliffside as if trying to chase the wind; to chase the music.

Right now the tune she hears is melancholic.

“What are you thinking about?”

_Or maybe she's just projecting._

“Hmm?” Yves hums distractedly, her eyes focused on the horizon. “Nothing really.” She leans back on her hands, grass and flowers slide between her fingers. “The reaping yesterday, I guess. That boy...he's probably there by now.” She nods her head out towards the Capitol, nestled in the mountain range in all its splendor. “...he couldn’t stop crying,” she whispers as an afterthought.

Jinsoul’s jaw clenches. Not the conversation topic she was expecting.

“We can’t do anything for him.” Her tone isn't unkind but they rarely talk about the games when they're alone. Ignorant bliss and all that.

Yves plucks a flower from the ground and holds it aloft. The wind picks up and it slips from her hand. Her brow furrows as she watches it float away.

She hopes it reaches someone.

“That’s not true. He may not know it...but we’re here; watching over him. That has to be some comfort.” The flower continues its flight until it's barely a speck in the distance.

Jinsoul contemplates Yves’ words. Would it be comforting to know someone was watching over you just waiting to see if you were going to die? Who would want an audience for that?

“I guess,” she concedes though she can’t imagine it.

Spying the stormy look on the other girl’s face makes Yves frown. She regrets spending a beautiful day like this wondering about things out of their control.

“Will you come up here if my name ever gets called?” Yves bumps the other girl's shoulder trying to ease the tension. “A beautiful girl like you, up on the mountaintop, to watch over little ol’ me,” she says fluttering her eyelashes.

Jinsoul is thankful for the change of pace.

“What do I get out of it?” She bites her lip trying to keep a straight face.

Yves catches her eye and chuckles. “Do you need an incentive?”

She looks back at her innocently. “Couldn’t hurt,” she shrugs.

“You have a lot going for you already,” Yves slowly closes the distance between them, “what more could you possibly want?” A hair's breadth away she gets lost in Jinsol’s gaze.

“I’m sure you can think of something,” Jinsoul whispers.

* * *

The ground quakes violently. 

Rocks fall from high above with thunderous impact.

The road ahead splits open.

She compels her legs to run faster than she’s ever had to, avoiding all manner of debris and rubble as the buildings around her collapse. A cannon sounds nearby and it startles her so much she trips and knocks her head on the pavement. Sticky viscous fluid drips down the side of her face getting in her eyes but pays it no attention. Giving that even a moment's focus could mean life or death right now. Scrambling back up to her feet she continues on with uneasy footfalls desperately trying to steady herself as the world around her shakes.

Luckily the earthquake quickly dies down to a low rumble allowing her to take refuge in a nearby alleyway. She dabs at her stricken head with the edge of her sleeve, the blood coagulates on the soft fabric with no sign of slowing. She rips off her sleeve to fashion a makeshift bandage wrap.

“ _Damn it_ ,” she hisses in pain as she tightens it around her head. 

Her head swivels around her surroundings. The deep shadows all around her shift and shimmer, mocking her. She listens for any slight disturbance: scuffling shoes, kicked up gravel; anything that could signify another tribute was near that heard her. The seconds grow and stretch in the pitch black night as she waits.

Time in the arena seemed endless.

At least it felt that way from the moment the games began...but that was probably the gamemakers intention along with the eternal darkness.

It had descended upon them without warning.

The second they’d been brought up into the arena it was pitch black. There was no time to adjust before the countdown began. The darkness brought a level playing field but an immediate handicap. Being deprived of one sense so instantly was panic inducing. Her throat was tight and it became difficult to breath. The urge to run was immense but she remained rooted to the platform. The terror or what would happen if she stepped off the platform too early trumped her panic.

One misstep and the games would be over for her before even starting.

She didn’t even realize the countdown ended until the sounds of the other tributes stumbling around filled the area. She bumped into someone as she took off and apologized without thinking.

Initially she thought it wise not to venture far from the cornucopia, to wait and see if the light came back. Maybe even chance at an opportunity to steal something…but it never happened. There was nothing on the horizon; no whisper of the morning sun waiting for it’s moment to rise. Only darkness.

It wouldn’t be until she gave up waiting, antsy at the risk of being discovered, that her eyes adjusted slightly and noticed the setting of this year's games.

A barren city: dilapidated and crumbling; completely shrouded in shadow. Plenty of places to hide and plenty of places to get trapped. She went to venture further in when the earthquake started.

* * *

“Where are we going?” Jinsoul whispers.

Yves snuck her out of her house in the middle of the night for what she called a _surprise_. Jinsoul is skeptical because _Yves_ and _surprise_ don't normally go hand in hand and rarely end up in her favor.

“Up the mountain!” Yves replies not caring about the volume of her voice. “My sister told me there’s an overlook at the top where you can see the Capitol!”

“H—hey! _Shut up!_ ” She checks behind them for any sign of peacekeepers even though it's unlikely since they’re already so far up the mountain ridge. Her legs start to ache.

“Ugh~! _This is stupid!_ Why are we hiking so much?” Jinsoul whines. “We’re going to get caught and I'm gonna get in so much trouble and you’re going to be put in a holding cell and it's going to be all your sister’s fault! What’s she even doing up here anyway?”

“Hold on! Why am _I_ the one thrown in holding in this scenario? You’re just as guilty.”

“I’m obviously going to cut a deal with them and pin it all on you.”

”You really do like me...”

”Only sometimes.”

“Very comforting,” Yves scoffs, “and since when do you question my sister?”

”Since she told me your grandma didn’t like having lights on while in the house and I turned off the kitchen lights when she was cooking thinking I was being nice.”

“That was _years_ ago.”

”And I’m _still_ mad! I got cursed out for that!”

”That _was_ pretty hilarious.”

”Fuck you!” Jinsoul huffs. “Can we please take a break? My legs aren’t used to this kind of abuse!”

“Quit your whining! Don’t you want to see the city lit up at night?” Yves runs back down to hook her arms through Jinsoul’s.

“Not really!” Jinsoul rolls her eyes and grumbles. “Who cares about the Capitol?”

Certainly not Jinsoul and Yves even less so. They would rather not be reminded of that kind of place existing. It's confusing why Yves is so enthusiastic.

“Well, it’s supposed to be _beau-ti-ful_. She said so.”

Her older sister usually had the scoop on what’s what around the district. Yves has gotten used to tuning her out but Jinsoul’s usually the one hanging off her every word. Sometimes she thinks Jinsoul likes her sister more than her. Hopefully that’ll change tonight.

“Your sister’s a hopeless romantic.”

Yves snorts, the irony not lost on her. “And what does that make you?”

“...not your sister.”

Giddy at her response, Yves pulls Jinsoul closer. “Thank god for that.”

Laughter follows them all the way up the mountain.

* * *

“This is hopeless.”

She wants to shout. She wants this over with.

By the end of the first day, or at least what feels like the first day, she’s counted seven cannon shots since the games started but nothing has been broadcast in the sky.

No announcements.

Nothing but her growing hunger and thirst indicating that any significant amount of time has passed. The frustration welling up inside her is enough to help push aside that ache but she knows soon enough it’ll grow into something she won’t be able to ignore.

Call it pure luck that she hasn’t come across any other tributes but that, in and of itself, is a small victory. The streets are barren. Her stomach hurts. Her throat burns. She has no idea what direction the cornucopia is in. She longs for the embrace of someone she fears she’ll never see again...but even that is something difficult to think about.

By the end of the second day she passes out when the pain and exhaustion become too much.

* * *

A loud knock at Jinsoul’s window abruptly and _rudely_ wakes her up. She pulls a pillow over her head tightly.

“It’ll go away. It can’t hurt you from out there,” she sleepily assures herself.

“If you don’t let me in I’m gonna start singing!” A muffled voice threatens.

“You're gonna do it anyway.” Jinsoul grumbles, desperately trying to chase the edges of dreamland.

And sing she does.

It’s a pretty tune with a pretty sounding melody...but it’s the very specific, very _vulgar_ , lyrics that have Jinsoul scrambling to her window.

“ _Are you crazy_!?” she shouts gruffly to her assailant, her voice deep and laden with sleep. The signs of embarrassment apparent with her reddening cheeks.

“Only crazy about you~! It’s my duty to let the whole district know how amazing my girl is.” Yves’ eyebrows wiggle as she gracefully climbs into the room. “Your voice is so sexy when you wake up, baby. I should visit you this early more often.”

“...get out of my house.” Jinsoul playfully tries to push her back out the window.

“No no no no no!” Yves laughs as Jinsoul attempts to tickle her side. She dives for the bed wrapping herself in blankets. Jinsoul tries to pull them off her but she’s got a tight grip. Jinsoul eventually gives up and takes a seat next to her.

“You promised we’d go off to the overlook before the reaping next week!” Yves pouts. “What happened to all that romantic talk about how it _may be the last time we’ll get to spend together so we should make it special_?” Her voice takes a mocking tone replicating Jinsoul’s voice. “Your sincerity had me convinced!”

“My _sincerity_ —I meant it as a joke! We almost got caught last time.” 

Yves shrugs nonchalantly. “So we got a little overzealous. Big deal.”

“Ha!” Jinsoul can’t believe her ears. “ _Overzealous._ Right. _We knocked out a transformer!_ I’d call that a little more than overzealous,” she says pointedly. “I saw four different patrols there—.”

“You’re mak—.”

“ _In one week!_ ” she emphasizes. “There is no way—and let me repeat myself because you have selective hearing— _no way_ we’re going anywhere near there again.”

Yves purses her lips. “Where's your sense of adventure?”

Jinsoul gapes at her. Yves desperately holds back the urge to joke that she looks like a fish.

“My sense of adventure left when your grandma caught us in your room last month.” Jinsoul’s cheeks flame in embarrassment, her mind replaying that experience. Yves’ laughing doesn’t help.

“It honestly could’ve been worse. My shirt wasn’t even all the way up!”

Jinsoul grabs a pillow and starts whacking the other girl. “You’re. Not. Helping. Your. Case!”

“Oh, come on!” Yves burrows herself deep in blankets trying to escape Jinsoul’s onslaught, her voice comes out muffled. “You have to admit it’s a story for the ages. My grandma still talks about it!”

“Your grandma sti— _oh my god!_ There was absolutely _nothing_ hilarious about that and there’s absolutely _no way_ you’re gonna convince me!”

“No way? You should choose your words more carefully.” Yves pops her head out. Jinsoul halts her attack, scared of the devious smile on her face. “Also...you underestimate me, sweetheart.” She winks. 

Jinsoul narrows her eyes. “What did you do?”

“Excuse you!" Yves gasps. "I didn’t do anything!”

“Find that hard to believe,” Jinsoul mumbles.

Yves ignores that. “Truly!” A hand covers her heart in a solemn promise. “One of the power plants is down—something about the dam or a solar panel on fire...or something—I don’t know,” she waves her arm and shrugs out of her blanket cocoon. “The point is, it’s all the way on the other side of the district; everyone important is over there right now panicking because a Capitol rep is on their way, so that means _we_ ,” she emphasizes by pulling Jinsoul close, “are free and clear to do whatever we want.” She whispers the last part while teasingly lifting up her shirt.

Jinsoul’s heart beats loudly in her chest but pushes her away. “ _Enough!_ F—fine! Let me get dressed. I’ll meet you outside.”

A wicked grin appears on Yves' face. She kisses Jinsoul’s cheek and she climbs back out the window. “Wear something cute for me!” she calls out.

Jinsoul slams the window shut but can’t help a smile when Yves’ laughter echoes through.

* * *

On the third day she contemplates giving up. Pure sheer of will coupled with the fear of being discovered motivates her to move. Unfortunately she doesn’t get very far.

Her eyes are bleary. Dark spots move in the corners of her vision. The constant ringing in her ears is deafening. Her body is weak and dying.

She thinks she hears a cannon in the distance before she collapses.

* * *

“—g Jinsoul!” crackles over the loudspeaker.

That was her name. Right?

If you ignore the feedback from the mic and the tinny quality of the speaker, there’s no doubt that was her name.

_Was there another Jung Jinsoul in the district?_

It’s hard to concentrate with the sudden incessant ringing in her ears.

_Someone should really fix that speaker._

Everyone is looking at her. Pity and relief clearly displayed in their eyes.

_Who told them that was okay to do?_

She’s never talked to these people in her life. If her ears weren’t ringing she’d yell at them to mind their own business. To look somewhere else. Maybe go fix that speaker.

“ _Jins_ —.”

There’s movement behind her. The ringing in her ears gets louder.

“— _nsoul_!” Someone grabs her forearm. It’s like ice, a shock to her system, but the touch is familiar. The comfort it brings is slightly grounding.

She turns her head to them but her vision is swimming and that’s when she realizes she’s crying. The blurry face says something else but peacekeepers interrupt them and guide her up the stage.

The speaker sounds even worse this close to it.

* * *

**BOOM**

Jinsoul’s eyes fly open.

**BOOM**

Her heart stutters. Was that a cannon?

**BOOM**

No. Not a cannon. It's hard to focus. Maybe something bigger? Something much bigger. Close enough to rattle the buildings around her.

This time an actual cannon goes off.

Her skull is pounding. She tries to think.

There hasn’t been too much action in the games yet from what she can tell and she fears the gamemakers are in the midst of changing that. She’s hidden enough at the moment...from what she recalls. Her head is foggy. Her bandage must’ve fallen off. She can’t remember exactly where she passed out and it's too much effort to lift her head and look.

**taptaptap**

There’s quick footfalls near her. Her blood turns to ice. From what she can tell they’re running the opposite direction of the blast—right towards her. She hears them stop and slowly move in her direction.

She’s been seen.

Jinsoul wants to cry but she’s too weak to even do that. A pair of boots come into her view, stopping just shy of her. She tries to sit up and defend herself but her head swims. No amount of adrenaline can save her. The dizziness is overwhelming. 

Then she feels something cool and wet pressing against her lips.

Water. 

She chokes on the first sip but greedily gulps down the rest forgetting about any impending danger. Half a loaf of bread is placed in front of her as well and she tears into it with as much ferocity as she can muster.

When the fog in her mind clears she spots her savior sitting a few yards away from her, knees pulled up to her chest, head buried in her arms. Jinsoul clears her throat and the girl’s head pops up.

Kim Lip. District 6.

Jinsoul wipes at her mouth, suddenly feeling self conscious despite almost dying. She offers the water pouch back once she feels comfortable sitting up.

“I don’t want it,” her new companion says in a gruff voice. Jinsoul leaves it at that, too tired to argue. Her eyes close despite the heedless danger her new companion brings.

* * *

They move together. An unspoken alliance now formed.

Jinsoul regards her new partner. She's remiss to admit it but Jinsoul barely remembers Kim Lip during their week at the training center. The girl was unremarkable. Petite and frail. One of the youngest tributes this year but that was about it.

How she made it this far into the games honestly baffles Jinsoul. Being from District 6 already feels like enough of a disadvantage for the poor girl. The beginnings of pity bubble up in her but she squashes that down. It’s not fair to the young girl or the situation they’ve both been thrown into.

At least she’s kind.

Kim Lip only asks once, and brusquely at that, if Jinsoul is feeling alright. She catches the young girl not so subtly checking over her from time to time when they’re resting. Jinsoul makes a quip that since she’s older she should be the one looking after her but Kim Lip just turns away and huffs.

Jinsoul swears even in the darkness she can see her ears turn red. She comments on it and the other girl just walks quicker. It’s the first time Jinsoul’s laughed since the reaping.

They garner a bit of luck when finding a small pack in one of the buildings they wander through. In it is an empty water pouch along with a small pocket knife. Kim Lip offers the knife to Jinsoul but she refuses it. Her companion technically found it and taking anything from the younger girl doesn’t sit right with her.

Arguably Jinsoul should probably be more self-seeking especially in a situation where the end goal is to survive longer than everyone else but—...she just couldn’t.

 _Maybe it_ is _pity_ , Jinsoul thinks.

Kim Lip is kind, so she’s kind in return...but that kindness can end getting you killed in here.

Jinsoul wonders if it's better to just run out of luck.

* * *

And run out of luck is exactly what happens.

The gamemakers seem eager to liven up things in the arena and that's apparent with their newest interference.

Light.

Like someone suddenly threw back the curtain on the sun, harsh blinding light pervades the arena.

The pair are frozen in place. The unmerciful adjustment disables them after days spent in the darkness. No amount of shielding their eyes helps with it’s relentless assault.

They’re exposed. The light permeates everywhere. The old decrepit buildings, now basted in brilliance, cast dramatic shadows to the sides making them seem more inviting than before.

Kim Lip stiffens once her eyes adjust, followed by a shaky intake of breath. Jinsoul doesn’t ask what’s wrong because she notices immediately. No more than 100 yards away is the silhouette of a person.

Another tribute.

There’s no time to react. Jinsoul hears the newcomer yell as if beckoning someone and then they’re charging full speed towards them. She glances at Kim Lip and is unsettled to see she’s not scared or fearful or any number of appropriate emotions. She looks...resigned to her fate. Like she was waiting for something like this. Waiting to die.

“We have to go!” Jinsoul pulls on her arm harshly and they both take off.

Despite their pursuer’s head start, the two of them are backtracking through a part of the city they’re somewhat familiar with so it’s easy to lose the trail of the other tribute even with the arena now broadcast in light. Thankfully it makes hiding in the shadows that much more helpful.

The whole time Jinsoul doesn’t let go of Kim Lip, scared of what she saw in her eyes earlier. Six cannons go off as they make their escape and Jinsoul squeezes her partner’s arm every time.

 _That could've been us_ , she thinks fearfully.

They find refuge in a different part of the city after making a labyrinth of twists and turns.

The two girls climb up the roof of a small building that has a retractable ladder and no other access point, deinging it safe for now; a place to catch their breath.

Neither of them speaks for a while until the stillness gets too much for Jinsoul.

“So~,” Jinsoul starts a bit awkwardly. “...your name’s not actually Kim Lip?”

Silence.

“I just—I thought I remembered your escort calling you something different.”

“It was my stylist's idea,” is all she says before laying down facing away from Jinsoul.

“Right. That’s neat. ...I wish my name had a bit more flair ya' know? Must be nice? Having a second name? My friend used to tell me—.”

_No._

That’s not something she wants to think about here. “Umm...nevermind.” Jinsoul fidgets.

She knows she should shut up but she’s equally buzzing with adrenaline and completely unsure if she should bring up what she noticed earlier with Kim Lip. Not to mention neither of them have eaten for a while and that uncomfortable ache is starting to settle in.

“So...uhh. Do you miss anything back in your district?" Silence. "We have this—there's these incredible light shows every year after the games end during the victory tour. The entire district get together and—.” _Oh._ _Right._ “I guess I probably won’t be seeing them anymore...”

The one sided conversation is agonizing but Jinsoul can’t stop her mouth from moving.

She clears her throat. “Uh, so how abo—what about you? Do you miss anything? People waiting on you? Missing you?” She asks with enough mustered innocent curiosity but the air around Kim Lip shifts.

It’s palpable and unwelcoming. 

“ _No_ ,” Kim Lip responds after a moment.

The single word is weighted with more pain than Jinsoul wants to think about for someone so young. She reminds herself again that everyone in these games is an enemy and someone with nothing to lose makes them beyond dangerous.

_Why didn’t she just shut up?_

Jinsoul takes the hint and they’re finally silent for a bit. Kim Lip naps a little, and Jinsoul calms herself until she spots something floating in the distance. She yelps in surprise.

Kim Lip sits up quickly, eyes wild, fumbling for the pocket knife ready to bolt at any sign of trouble.

The parachute shape quickly makes itself noticeable. “Relax. It's okay,” she tells her partner, “it’s just a—.”

“A sponsorship.” The girl relaxes but makes no effort to get a better look at it. “It’s yours.”

Jinsoul scoffs. “How can you know that? You could have someone back hom—.” _Nope._ “Maybe you made an impression,” she rectifies.

They watch the slow descent of the parachute and something jogs Jinsoul’s memory about the other girl.

“You volunteered didn’t you?" No answer. "The Capitol eats up noble acts like that...or so I’m told. Maybe someone wants to show their support,” she trails off.

Kim Lip doesn’t say anything and makes a show of lying back down. She doesn’t turn away though.

Sure enough the parachute falls perfectly within Jinsoul’s reach. She gasps as she opens it.

Kim Lip tries not to make her curiosity obvious but Jinsoul’s reaction is too dramatic to look away from. She watches her pull out a small loaf of bread, which is immediately divided between them, and a single flower: fresh and full of life. Its petals bloom magnificently and its color is still vibrant. Jinsoul fumbles with her hands carefully pulling out another flower that was tucked away in her pocket. Kim Lip notices it's the same type as the new one but it's obviously been carried around for a lot longer. 

_A reminder or maybe a promise?_

“Sentimental,” she comments idly. 

“Yeah.”

It’s all she says and Kim Lip respects that.

Jinsoul holds both flowers together and brings them close to her face. She closes her eyes and releases a breath. It's sad; full of melancholy. She holds them a moment longer before putting them away.

The young girl stares intently at the pocket the flowers disappear into before turning her body away, willing herself to sleep.

* * *

Yves is last to visit her. The heavy grief in her eyes betrays the smile on her face.

“Here!”

Yves grabs hold of her hand and places a small flower in it. She recognizes it as the wildflowers from the mountain. “I didn’t have enough time to braid it or anything. I’m sorry.”

Jinsoul looks at her questionably. She honestly can’t make sense of anything the other girl is saying. There's a million and one things rushing through her head and it takes everything within her just to stay in the moment. Yves thankfully seems to understand.

“Your token,” she explains simply.

It holds sentiment. It’s a reminder from home, of their time together. It's the perfect token but “It’ll wilt...” is the only thing she manages to say.

Yves lets out a breath in resignation. Wasting no time she leans forward and kisses Jinsoul sweetly.

_Bittersweet?_

Yves pulls always first, her shoulders tremble. She takes a deep shaky breath and rests their foreheads together.

“Then you’ll know how long it’s been since you left me."

Jinsoul tries her best to memorize the moment.

She wants to tell her that she doesn’t have to be strong for her. That it’ll be okay. That she always thought Yves looked pretty in the sunlight and is sorry she didn’t tell her more. That she always loved when Yves would put flowers in her hair. That life with her was the best part of living so far. She wants to tell her a thousand many more things that she never had the courage to say before...but the words are stuck in her throat.

Voicing anything now feels unfair.

_It's unfair._

“We have to say goodbye,” Yves’ voice wavers.

“Don’t—,”

“I’ll watch over you,” she's say adamantly with a brave face but tears still fall.

The peacekeepers come and Jinsoul is rushed on the train to the Capitol.

_It's not fair._

* * *

After a sufficient rest on the rooftop and no sign of impending danger or other tributes, Jinsoul offers to continue moving especially after noticing Kim Lip’s restlessness.

They’re quieter now. Weaving through shadows whenever they can. The light is too exposing; too dangerous.

As they make their way through the city, Jinsoul’s mind is unsettled thinking about how Kim Lip would react if they ran into danger again.

Would she run if Jinsoul grabbed her arm again? _Should_ Jinsoul even help her?

Her mind buzzes thinking of possible scenarios they could come across. After getting her recent sponsorship Jinsoul was instilled with more hope and fight than she thought possible in a place that was so far removed from her past.

It gave her new life in the nightmare that was these games...but it also made her worry about Kim Lip.

She thinks back to the way the girl’s eyes looked and how it shocked her.

So empty and lonely; hollow.

Jinsoul had someone watching over her; lovingly so. Maybe that’s all the other girl needed.

Jinsoul bites the inside of her cheek contemplating if she should do something. 

“You should try to live as long as you can,” she whispers to the girl in front of her.

Kim Lip whips her head in her direction and glares at her for speaking. Jinsoul is undeterred.

“You said no one would miss you but that’s not true anymore. I would.” She smiles, attempting to convey her care and concern for the younger girl. “So just...try to stay alive a little longer. That’s all I wanted to say.” Jinsoul leaves it at that and walks ahead to take the lead.

Kim Lip’s face falls, processing what’s been said to her. 

Jinsoul’s words rattle around in her head like a mantra. Her chest tightens and she feels her eyes start to well up. She clenches her jaw and bites her lip to stop any emotional reaction in its tracks.

The words don’t stop repeating themselves in her head.

* * *

They’ve decided to make their way to the cornucopia if they can find it. Their scarcity of food and water can’t continue on for much longer and searching at the cornucopia seems like the most profitable bet.

Jinsoul places a hand over her pocket periodically as they move, the ghost of a smile crosses her face, as if lost in a memory.

Kim Lip catches her out of the corner of her eye every time but the look on Jinsoul's face feels a bit too intimate and she always ends up glancing away. That kind of happiness on display twists something inside Kim Lip. It brings up unpleasant memories she’d rather forget. She holds on to Jinsoul’s earlier words and quells those thoughts away.

She offers to scout the next couple of blocks, if only to get away from the other girl for a bit. She leaves the pocket knife with Jinsoul, which the girl contests but Kim Lip reassures her she wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway.

Not fifteen minutes have gone by when she finds a running faucet. Kim Lip takes a greedy drink from it before filling her pouch to share with Jinsoul.

That’s when the fog descends. It’s thick and opaque and somehow worse than the eternal darkness of before.

Kim Lip can’t make out her own hand in front of her face and her surroundings have been completely shrouded. Fear and trepidation are at the forefront of her mind thinking of the older girl.

She cautiously starts back to where she parted with Jinsoul. Careful and deliberate with her steps so as not to disrupt or alert anyone.

The sound of a cannon nearby has her sprinting. A second cannon soon after fills her with horrible dread.

She snags her leg on something and cuts it open while running. She stumbles multiple times from the throbbing pain.

She’s limping. She’s too slow.

Blood runs down her leg, seeping into her boot. It's nauseating, but that and the pain help temper her anxiety. The fog let’s up a bit and she recognizes the area. Kim Lip debates whether to call out Jinsoul’s name when she suddenly trips over something. She falls hard; gravel scrapes up her hands and knees. It stings. 

She looks back behind her and sees a body.

It’s the female tribute from District 1 with Kim Lip’s pocket knife sticking out her neck. She pulls it free without thinking and cuts away the dead girl’s sleeve to wrap the fabric tightly around her injured leg. The fog completely dissipates by the time she’s done.

A few yards away she spots a flower and an arm outstretched reaching after it.

It’s already starting to wilt so Kim Lip is gentle with it. She places it back in the pocket with the other one. She takes one last look at her.

There’s nothing else to be done.

Kim Lip runs off with familiar words echoing in her head.

* * *

“What did I say!” Yves exclaims spinning around with her arms outstretched. “Nobody in sight!”

Jinsoul shushes her. “Will you j— _oh my god,_ stop yelling! I’m still not convinced your dumb _intel_ is actually right. Was there actually a fire or do you just like waking me up at an ungodly hour?”

“Oh baby, you gotta let loose! It’s a beautiful day!” She grabs Jinsoul’s hands to spin them around. Yves lets go and spins a bit on her own but loses her balance from dizziness.

“Come on dummy,” Jinsoul chuckles, “we still have to hike all this.” Her arm securely snakes around Yves, steadying them together. “What’s with you today?”

“Hmm~. I don’t know? I just knew I had to be with you today. Like a persistent feeling in the back of my head.” Yves rests the side of her head against Jinsoul’s. “Is this what love is supposed to feel like?”

She asks it so casually Jinsoul is speechless for a moment.

Love.

Then she turns her head up. Yves is right. It _is_ a beautiful day. The sun is high; the flowers surrounding them rustle with the wind, still freshly blooming at the end of spring, and the girl next to her, full of life and light, is sharing the moment with her.

She squeezes Yves closer to her and kisses the side of her head.

“For us? Maybe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: this was originally a companion piece/prequel to an extensive lipseul hunger games prompt that I don't think will ever see the light of day...but sometimes it's fun to dream! Thanks for reading!


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